Calm Down, Rice Food Aid Will Be Distributed Again Starting February 15

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) decided to temporarily suspend 10 kilograms (kg) of rice food assistance during the calm period of the 2024 General Election (Pemilu). The aid will be distributed again after the democratic party is over.

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi ensured that the assistance was again distributed to 22 million beneficiary families (KPM) on Thursday, February 15.

Not only rice food assistance, Arief said, rice market operations or stabilization of Food Supply and Prices (SPHP) were also gradually distributed on Tuesday, February 13.

"Starting February 15, we will start food assistance, plus SPHP, we will all work on it," said Arief while reviewing Bulog's SPHP rice stock at Robinson Mart, Ciplaz, East Jakarta, written Tuesday, February 13.

Arief revealed that this rice food aid must be distributed back. The reason is that rice in Perum Bulog's warehouse also cannot be stored for too long.

"Anyway, it's in and out, in and out, because it can't be stored for a long time so it's dynamic," said Arief.

On the other hand, the former President Director of RNI also dismissed the issue that the rice food assistance run by the government actually caused rare rice. Arief said that the restrictions on buying rice in modern retail cannot be interpreted as rare rice stocks.

"Yesterday in the media, he said there was a shortage of rice, so the purchase was limited to 2 packs. I think we've always said that in retail 2 packs, 2 packs. When you're at home you want to put 1 ton?," he said.